Monday, January 04, 2010

Welcome 2010... with lessons from 2009

Over the weekend we asked our team to reflect on 2009. Specificallywhat were some key lessons they learned throughout the year that are going to bring them through to 2010.Summarized below -have a look and perhaps you can take something away. And these are not just professional/career lessons.. but many are life lessons.

What we Learned in 2010:

1. Patience - taking time for balance & reflection; thinking of all angles before taking action, taking the opportunity to educate and lead vs. getting frustrated

2. How to lead different people - colors, currency, PI's. Whatever tool you want to use understanding that every individual (regardless how different from your natural 'style') will play an important and integral par. Respecting the differences while working with & embracing each other will build a successful team.

3. Delegation - means nothing if not empowering others to see the bigger picture first. It's not about the 'item' to be completed but how we can affect our entire team and success with what we're doing - the bigger pictures. We can't just expect it to be done quickly and right if we don't take the time to lead first & foremost.

4. Team - nothing can be accomplished alone. Our whole team has come a long ways and plays their parts very well.. from the administration to role players to coaches. We all need to work together to see the most growth & success.

5. Transparency & Trust - so important and has come into play with the above 4. Learning to fully trust in myself & our team, allowing others to do what they do best, taking feedback without fighting, letting go of control, not having to do it 'my way'. Allows everyone to succeed and builds a foundation of a strong team.

6. we have an amazing team of young people. Where most young people are coming up short in society, ours are getting noticed.

8. we all have control over our own destinies. Hesitating, blaming, justifying, procrastinating are OUR choices as much as we’d like to displace them on others.

9.if people followed the systems they way they were designed they would be more successful, more of the time in all life.

10. we would not want a boyfriend or girlfriend who was in a relationship with you to be eyeing someone else 3,6 & 9 months down the road. We would not likely enter into a relationship with someone else telling us “I’m just going to try this out and see if I like it”. So why would we hire, keep and continue to invest in people who’s ultimate passion is elsewhere IF there’s someone who’s ultimate passion is HERE & NOW.

11. you can’t push a round peg into a square hole. so, if we can understand our strengths [ie. colors], then we can maximize the best role for ourselves based on what we would be good at, what we like, and where we want to go.

12. timing of everything is key. If we are doing the right thing, at the right time, doing the right things – we maximize our chances of success. If we miss one or any of these elements, we risk missing the boat.

13. people will turn the corner, when they are ready to turn the corner [and only one person can make that switch – ourselves]. making the switch from university student to career professional, from dating to long term commitment / relationship / marriage, and from seeing the small picture to seeing the BIG picture – will happen when it is time to happen. some will be faster and some will take more experience & time – nothing better or worse, just reality.

14. success doesn’t come from 1 day, 1 month, or 1 year of consistent hard work – it usually takes 5 years for a large plan / project to come to fruition. Therefore, get ready for 5 years of consistent hard work to get to where you want to be [relationship, family, career, etc.]

15. life isn’t only about working but enjoying it & living it! However, working hard will eventually provide the freedom, flexibility, and financial capability to do more. Work hard & you get rewarded.

16. I learned that I have a fear of conflict - I am currently working on expressing how I feel about things right away before waiting and creating a bigger problem than needs to be..

17. I have learned that I have a fear of commitment - I am currently in a personal relationship that has actually helped me realize that I am able to have professional commitment at a high level in my carrier..

18. I have learned that I need to hold our team accountable 100% of the time if I am to stay in a leadership level and to be able to step into a higher level of management..

19. I have learned that everyone has a different personality that requires a different approach to all communication. that includes holding someone accountable, motivating, providing and receiving feedback..

20. I have learned that nothing gets done without a proper plan. one that needs to be thorough, executed, shared and then paid forward..

21. Organization - Leading a group of 15 from start to finish (STP). Plan, plan, plan and then execute. Leading destinations go smoothly when you overplan.

23. Team - When we all come together as a team we reach our goals. When we try to be individuals we fail as a team. Individuals with ego's try to do it their own way and this will only hamper a team.

24. Money - It is not how much money you make, it is how much you save. RSP's, Tax Free Trading account, Savings etc. The more money you make, the more money you spend.

25. Relationships - Being in a healthy relationship enhances the quality of my life. Friend, teammate, Lover.

26. That I have a fear of conflict. I am still working on improving 'straight goods feedback' and realizing that some levels of conflict within a team are essential for its success

27. That I have to always get better. At work, at home, in sports and in life, otherwise I get bored and move on. I have learned that challenge is essential for me.

28.To effectively work with other people I need to understand them. The introduction of colors has given me a better understanding of other teammates and why they act/react the way they do, ultimately helping me to become a better leader

29. If I want something done, then I need to plan. If something is important and needs to get done, setting a tangible plan into action is the best way to ENSURE it gets done.

30. That the systems at IF WORK. To opperate as an if coach at a high level we must buy into the systems and understand that they are there for a reason.... TO HELP US SUCEED. I have adopted the IF systems and implemented them at work and at home, helping me in many areas both professionally and personally.

31. Balance - I found it is important to maintain balance in my lifestyle. In 2009 I experienced both spectrums with professional, physical and personal spheres.

32. Delegation - important for getting more things done. NC is where I really learned this.

33. Team - I do best when I am in team environment and we are all working together together to achieve greatness and we must all row in the same direction to achieve this.

34. Listen, observe, and share - my biggest growth in 2009 came from listening to what others have to say, observing how things are done (professionally and personally) and be able to share with others my experiences that I have learned.

36. Focus: this past year my focus and direction has become a pinpoint. Where at one time I had many focuses I can say that I have narrowed it to two (career and marriage) that align with my values and this has made me more successful in both.

37. Committment: this has been huge for my success. Being committed means making some sacrifice and doing whatever it takes to become great at work and in marriage. I have learned to be more committed in everything I do.

38. Efficiency: with new focuses and wanting to excel in both of my top 2 focuses I have had to become faster at getting things done. That means I have to prioritize better and not becoming distracted by the things that do not get me forward. Effeciency is a big lesson for me and I have been challenged by my leaders to make things happen quickly.

39. Ownership: making the decision to take ownership over each situation and outcome has been very important for my development. At work I feel it has preppared me for positions I am not yet in and allowed me to learn more. Personally I take ownership of all pos and neg situations that occur and decide what road it is I go down. Taking a wrong turn means I create solutions. Ownership has taught me more about positions I am shooting for.

40. Action: Nike said it well with their "Just Do It" slogan. Doing what you need to do vs. Doing what you want to do. Ie: getting up early to get ahead vs wanting to sleep in. Making plans is important but until you follow through on them a plan is worthless. This takes discipline and I have really disciplined myself to "Just Do It" and take action.

41. Not everyone is like me, and therefore they need to be treated differently. Colours have helped me to recognise this and approach people and situations differently.

42. My strengths and weaknesses and how I can use both of them to my advantage. By recognising my weaknesses I can be a more effective team mate, and take steps to overcome them.

43. Not everything can be perfect. Your perfect is different to mine, and I cannot lose sleep over things I have no control over.

44. I need to adapt better to situations I have not planned for.

45. Take responsibilty, and ask what I can do to help the situation

46. Personal growth - without it, there's no professional growth.

47. Transparency - be vulnerable and open up to others. 3. Challenge - like the flea who's jumping at the same height without the lid on top, I can do things that are out of my comfort zone and am realizing it now

48. Strengths & Weaknesses - recognizing my colours/currencies in order to be a better teammate & take ownership of role

49. Time management/organization/planning - no need to do things several times over, just do it once right

50. Ownership - it's my life, doing things for myself and not others

51. If you want to acheive something badly enough, you can acheive it with hard work and persistance - work.

52. I have an amazing life - I should never take it for granted.

53. I have a new found respect for personal trainers and the service they provide

54. I was trying to do too many things and not doing any of them at a high enough level - rugby, work, school, and friends

55. I have in the past few months realized that I still have decisions to make in regards to my future - school, work, and lifestyle.

56. Ownership: Owning my actions and accepting the positives and negatives of each one.

57. Planning: Learned I need a plan when it comes to furthering myself professionally and personally. Without one I have realized I am selling myself and my full potential short.

58. Balance: Finding balance between my personal and professional life. Not burning the candle at both ends.

59. Comfort: Getting out of my comfort zone and really experiencing a lot of new things. Leaving behind the comfort of University and starting over again out in Vancouver.

60. Doing: Stopped saying and started doing. Learned that I always had a lot to say, but was not always actually doing as much as I thought.

61. Ownership of my life and how I want to live it and what brings me the most happiness.

62. Communicating how I feel is not something I should be so afraid of.

63. Taking big chances can lead to some great success, no more selling myself short and sabotaging my goals.

64. Professional- there are a lot of great people out there that enjoy the feeling and rush of exercise and need help achieving goals they never thought they could accomplish, and I can help contribute to their success

65. People are different and respond very differently and like to be dealt with very differently, training one on one this is something I realized very quickly, that everyone has their thing that makes them tick!!

66. Team - How great we work as a team and if we didn't, things wouldn't run as smoothly as they do. By working as a team, we see the best ourselves and in our customers, we keep our hours high, and we keep each other challenged to grow

67. Colours - how everyone has a different personality and we need to recognize what those personality traits are in order to approach them approrpriately, help them grow, and apply/accept feedback in the right manner. With understanding each others personailties at a higher level, we will be a tighter team and continue to help each other grow twice as fast.

68. Balance - I have learnt the importance of balancing things out in my life ie. relationships, work, education, training etc. I tend to take too much on my plate and become overwhelmed and burnt out very easily. This is something I need to continuously work on, and hope to have huge improvement in for 2010

69. Transparency - don't keep to yourself and be open with others. This is a must when working in a team environemnt.

70. Communication - That it is so important to communicate with everyone involved in your life whether inside or outside of work. Without communication, you either get mis-lead or misslead others. This is easily avoided by speaking up and expression your opinions.